Good idea, and why not add the possibility for the police to check if the driver broke the speed limit by keeping a file with information regarding speed and location? That would reduce disasters a lot.

That could also be used to lower the car thief rate. Non-licensed driver cannot turn on the car.

Unless you use something like a thumb-print, a thief coud steal your card key.

At the bar, we order drinks by handing our license to the waiter, who writes our order on the back with a wax pencil. The bartender swipes it as she mixes the drink. Thus the license knows the rate at which we have imbibed, AND our body weight - and so can compute whether our blood alcohol exceeds limits. So the car won't start for drunks.

Hmmmm: Pitchers of beer are illegal, or must be "smart pitchers" that disburse measured amounts after the license is inserted into a slot.

I like classicsat's idea slightly better, because you don't have to reach into your pocket and fumble through your wallet to get your thumb (or other finger if desired), right ;-) ? Besides at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), most of us had to register our thumb print, so if it MUST be linked to the DMV database (this option could be just set-up with your thumb print and not transmitted anywhere and used only as an anti-theft measure). Unless I'm mistaken, I think Lexus already has a similar feature...

I'm against the idea because first it's a privacy issue. Also, I don't think it would discurrage someone from stealing a car or driving without a lisence cause people would just bypass it, plus everyone would need to get a new lisence. But if someone could steal a key, they could prolly steal someone elses lisence too.